Jay Busbee

Every year, the faithful journey to Las Vegas to lay down March Madness money, and every year, they target their own schools and perhaps that fabled 5-12 upset. But why don’t Vegas casinos, the heart and soul of gambling in this country, offer up some kind of overall bracket challenge?

You’d think a full bracket game would be an easy way for casinos to make money, given how many brackets get busted like eggshells by the tournament’s first Friday. Heck, if the guy over in Human Resources can whip up a pool with a copy machine and a coffee can, surely a multimillion-dollar casino operation could do so. No-brainer, right?

Wrong, as it turns out. The limitations are both logistical and technological, according to Jay Rood, VP of Race and Sports at MGM International.

At the moment, MGM does not have the software capable of handling thousands of complete-bracket bets. Think about what’s involved in entering a single bracket – 63 different games – then consider thousands of similar brackets all hitting the system at once. It’s a technological hurdle MGM hasn’t yet cleared.

There are literally billions of dollars at play in today's NASCAR environment, but for a few laps on Sunday, you could have been watching a good old small-track race in the middle of nowhere.

Well, technically, you were; Martinsville is one of the most remote tracks on the circuit. But you get the idea: for all the money and fame these drivers and race teams accrue, sometimes it comes down to two drivers, two cars, one prize. And on Sunday, it was Denny Hamlin who outlasted Brad Keselowski in the closing laps of the STP 500 to notch his first win of the season and fifth at Martinsville overall.

Hamlin had driven one of the best cars all day, but one by one his top challengers dropped back in the pack, either victimized by bad luck (Joey Logano got collected on a spin by Michael Annett) or their own mistakes (Jeff Gordon suffered a critical pit road speeding penalty with less than 40 laps remaining). As with last week, it then fell to Keselowski to sneak in and challenge Hamlin for the victory. Turn after turn in the closing laps, Keselowski got close enough to touch Hamlin's bumper, but couldn't get inside for a pass.

NASCAR's future arrived at Martinsville on Sunday, and promptly got knocked back into the garage.

Chase Elliott, defending Xfinity Series champion and son of Hall of Famer Bill Elliott, made his Sprint Cup debut on Sunday in the No. 25 NAPA Chevrolet, and, well, Martinsville and the STP 500 didn't exactly welcome him with a gentle, loving embrace.

Martinsville often resembles a shopping mall parking lot at Christmastime, with cars circling, fenders bending, and tempers rising. Elliott, starting 27th, traded paint with his fellow mid-packers, and on an early restart, Brett Moffitt piled into him. Shortly afterward, on lap 75, Elliott went behind the wall with power steering and radiator problems. It took his team, comprised of Hendrick Motorsports veterans, 69 laps to get Elliott's car back in serviceable condition.

Points aren't the goal for Elliott; experience is. He'll run a handful of events this season in preparation for a full-time Sprint Cup ride next season taking over for Jeff Gordon. It's all part of the most celebrated Cup-level debut in recent memory.

Much of the United States is still shivering, but we're only days away from the start of baseball season. That means it's time RIGHT NOW to get your fantasy baseball drafts in order. Head on over to Yahoo Sports' Fantasy Baseballhome page, but BEFORE YOU DO ... listen to this podcast. [Yahoo Sports Fantasy Baseball: Sign up and join a league today!] Why? Because we've got fantasy maestro Andy Behrens slingin' hot fantasy knowledge every way, that's why! We begin with a primer on how to approach fantasy baseball drafts and auctions (3:38 mark), including stats to seek on pitchers. We continue with how to spot the best hitters for your team (9:53 mark). Andy tells us all the fancy new aspects of the Yahoo Sports fantasy baseball experience, and you'll want to hear this part (23:48 mark). Finally, Andy discusses how fantasy baseball can survive and thrive in an era of fantasy football and one-day fantasy games (37:28 mark).

[Note: this is the latest episode of Yahoo Sports' new Grandstanding podcast, in which Jay Busbee and Kevin Kaduk kick around every topic in sports with the help of notable sports figures. Subscribe to Grandstanding via iTunes right here, or via other podcast feeds right here. Thanks for checking it out!]

Rex Ryan has hit the ground in Buffalo running, bringing attitude and (deep breath) SWAG to a team in desperate need of both.

At the owners' meetings this week, Ryan has been in typical form, which is to say outspoken and not particularly caring whether you agree with him. He announced his intention to "come after" New England, which is what you'd expect him to say. (What, he's supposed to concede the division in March?)

Ryan also had some brotherly advice for his twin Rob, the defensive mastermind for the New Orleans Saints. Rob is head coaching material, Rex believes, except for one tiny issue: his appearance.

When last we saw Pete Carroll, he was slinking off the field after Super Bowl XLIX, having made perhapsthe most boneheaded decision in football history. Well, it's seven weeks later, and guess who's back, photobombing ESPN's John Clayton during a Sportscenter hit:

Was he lost or deliberately skulking? With Carroll, you're never quite sure, but afterward, he noted his motive:

This season will mark the run-up to the 50th Super Bowl, and since 50 is a golden anniversary, the NFL is going all-gold, all season long. Trust us, over the next 10 months you're gonna see more gold than that dragon in The Hobbit.

Start with the name. For the first time, the NFL is abandoning the Roman numerals. That's not exactly a surprise: the Roman numeral for 50 is "L," and "SUPER BOWLL" makes even less sense than "Super Bowl XXX" a couple decades back.

From there, the NFL is going absolutely all-in on the gold, starting with the upcoming NFL Draft. Players who cross the stage will get a team hat with a gold NFL shield on the back. Logos for Kickoff Weekend and the playoffs will be gold as well.

Out on the field, every 50 yard line will be tinted gold, and starting in Week 7, every team's logo will be rimmed with gold as well. Pro Bowl uniforms will be black, white, and gold. And the winner of Super Bowl 50 will get a gargantuan "50" in addition to the Lombardi trophy; the numerals will weigh 33 pounds apiece.

Wrestlemania XXI approaches, and ESPN is breaking out its stars to hype up the extravaganza. Bill Simmons appeared on WWE Raw on Monday night, and here, Jon Gruden breaks down some tape on some of the key players in this year's extravaganza.

He starts with some old footage of Andre the Giant, projecting him as an offensive lineman. (We'd love to see what Andre would have done as a short-yardage fullback. Possibly crushed a guy or two.) From there, it's on to individual assessments of Titus O'Neil, who once sacked Peyton Manning; Curtis Axel; Ryback; and The Bunny.

Gruden seems to be giving it his all, even if he sounds more than a little mystified by all this flingin' and floppin'. Hey, a man's gotta keep busy during the 15 minutes a year the NFL isn't making news.

____ Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter.

Jimmy Fallon spotted Chalifoux and invited her onto his show to sit in with the Roots. While she was there, Fallon presented her with a big ol' gift basket and two tickets to see Taylor Swift. Sure, it's not a Final Four berth, but it's not a bad consolation prize, either.